Red Rock Resort

Off the Strip by several miles and closer to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Red Rock Casino Resort is a property of Station Casinos, which made its mark in Vegas by appealing to those who actually live there. But Red Rock is as fancy and decadent as any on the Strip, with a masculine design of crimson and burnt orange and a chain of more than 3.1m Swarovski and Preciosa crystals (measuring 99 miles) hanging throughout the resort. During the summer, Red Rock opened a 7,000-seat outdoor amphitheatre, and its pool concert series is one of the most popular of its kind in the city.
1011 West Charleston, +1 702 797 7777, redrocklasvegas.com, doubles from $130

Aria at CityCenter

Photograph: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News/Corbis

The centrepiece of the 67-acre CityCenter, Aria is where you play it big in Vegas. There are 4,004 guest rooms, and that doesn’t count the theatre where Elvis still lives, in the Cirque du Soleil production Viva Elvis. The vast, dark-wood-designed hotel and casino is filled with water features, including fountains that greet guests at the porte-cochère. Public art is heavily featured: guests at reception are met with artist Maya Lin’s Silver River sculpture, which greatly resembles … well, a silver river. Aria is home to more than 16 restaurants, including those operated by star chefs Michael Mina (American Fish) and Masayoshi Takayama (Bar Masa and Shaboo).
3730 Las Vegas Boulevard, +1 702 590 7111, arialasvegas.com, doubles from $129

Bellagio

Bellagio, Las Vegas.

One of the big “wow” events in recent Vegas history was the opening of Bellagio, which ushered in the era of the “mega-resort” in October 1998. The splashy Fountains at Bellagio water show at the front of the hotel, envisioned by hotel founder Steve Wynn, continues to halt traffic on the Strip. Inside, the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens change with the seasons. Looming at the registration desk is a glass sculpture designed by the artist Dale Chihuly. The resort is home to the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, also a Wynn vision. In the 40-table poker room hangs a painting by LeRoy Neiman, titled simply (and appropriately) The Game.
3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 693 7111, bellagio.com, doubles from $149

Wynn Encore

Photograph: Eric Kabik/Corbis

Encore opened as a twin to the equally giant Wynn in late-2008, and the two properties represent Steve Wynn’s greatest hits: fantastic restaurants, an interior design of canopies and coffered ceilings that bring to mind the effects of Bellagio. Upon opening, the resort threw a stack of cash and the use of a private jet to country music superstar Garth Brooks, booking his one-man show in the theatre next to Le Rêve. Appropriately, those shows meet in the middle of these hotels. For outdoor entertainment, try the Encore Beach Club, which sits nearly atop the Strip and is one of the finest pool clubs in town.
Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 770 7000. Wynn Encore Hotel, 3121 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 770 8000, wynnlasvegas.com, doubles from $189

Venetian-Palazzo

Photograph: Alamy

Gondoliers steer you through the Venetian, welcoming guests to the waterway that cuts through a replica of St Mark’s Square. Strolling performers sing operatic tunes, and it is all played out in a winding, pedestrian retail centre known as the Grand Canal Shops. The Venetian opened in May 1999, followed in 2007 by the Palazzo next door. Some of the city’s great shows and restaurants are here: Jersey Boys, Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular and the Blue Man Group. Lagasse’s Stadium at Palazzo is one of the city’s finest sports books, the only place in the city where you can find a man watching sport in the jersey of his favourite team, shouting at a big screen and devouring a banana creme pie dessert conceived by Lagasse himself.
Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 414 1000, venetian.com. Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, 3325 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 607 7777, palazzo.com, doubles from $169

Caesars Palace

Photograph: Ethan Miller/Reuters/Corbis

Caesars opened in 1966, has been known as one of the last standing haunts of the Rat Pack, the site of some of the greatest prizefights in history, and the spot where daredevil Evel Knievel went tea-over-teakettle in a 1967 motorcycle leap. These days, the stars are Celine Dion, Elton John and Rod Stewart. All take the stage at various times at the 4,100-seat Colosseum. Another popular show is Absinthe, held in a big white tent in the hotel’s Roman Plaza, near its entrance. One of the city’s first Strip retail centres, the Forum Shops, remains an ideal place to fling your credit card or put that blackjack hot streak to good use.
3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 731 7110, caesarspalace.com, doubles from $179

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan Hotel, Las Vegas.

If the Mirage launched the mega-resort era in Vegas, the Cosmopolitan seems to be its bookend. Built next to CityCenter, the resort stacks 2,995 rooms – the majority of which offer terraces and views of the Strip. Tucked into the Marquee nightclub, a three-storey party space, is an enclave known as the Library, where guests shoot pool and read Vegas-centric books, The signature gathering spot is the Chandelier bar, a bedazzled, multi-decked haven of hobnobbing. A pizzeria called, simply, Pizzeria, sits down an unmarked hallway, giving the impression you sort of have to know somebody to find the place. The concert and party centre, Boulevard Pool, is positioned high above the Strip.
3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 698 7000, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com, doubles from $160

Mandarin Oriental

Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas.

Perhaps the coolest floor in all of Vegas is the 23rd at the Mandarin Oriental, where the Mandarin Bar overlooks the Strip on one end and Pierre Gagnaire’s Twist looks out from the other. This is a non-gaming hotel, it has no grand theatre or any sort of resident production show or headliner. But it is one chic spot, with live jazz playing from the Mandarin Bar and visitors reclining in the lounge next to the reception. Yes, that is on the 23rd floor, too, a spot called the Sky Lobby. The hotel provides one of the great escapes in Las Vegas, a 27,000sqft.
3752 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 590 8888, mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas, doubles from $195

Mandalay Bay

Photograph: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Laden with deeply coloured floor tiling in its valet entrance and a uniquely curious fragrance that hints at citrus, Mandalay Bay is a genuine mega-resort with 3,300 rooms, and filled with an array of entertainment venues. The 12,000-seat Mandalay Bay Events Center hosts boxing and mixed-martial arts events, the House of Blues features emerging and contemporary pop acts. Upstairs two venues provide terrific views of the Strip: the cozy, pop art-laden Foundation Room and MIX restaurant and nightclub. Shark Reef, the watery walking park filled with sharks and other exotic, aquatic creatures, is the quintessential fun-for-the-entire-family attraction.
2950 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 632 7777, mandalaybay.com, doubles from $130

Mirage

Photograph: Alamy

The Mirage can often be overlooked these days, as more gargantuan resorts have sprouted since it’s breathtaking opening in 1989. Siegfried & Roy once performed here, and these days the Beatles (with the Cirque du Soleil production Love) and a master ventriloquist (theatre headliner Terry Fator) rule the entertainment scene. Inside, the casino floor is shrouded in tropical surroundings. Guests walk through a glass atrium that lets the sun shine in, hearing the soothing sounds of a waterfall over the action at the casino. Mirage has been upgraded to keep pace with its taller competition, and is still one of the city’s major players on the Strip.
3400 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +1 702 791 7111, mirage.com, doubles from $60

From AI video generators to image makers, artificial intelligence has paved the way for a world of possibilities. Among the latest tools, Suno AI allows would-be music creators to produce their own tunes. We look at how to generate a song with Suno.

What is Suno AI and why choose it?

Suno AI music has apparently revolutionized the music-making landscape by using sophisticated AI to make original compositions. Users can explore a wide variety of genres and styles, unlocking an abundance of musical opportunities. The platform suggests prompts and ideas to spark creativity, which means artists can personalize their AI-generated songs with unique lyrics.

The latest version, Suno AI V3, processes musical patterns and trends to quickly generate complete tracks, streamlining music production and making it more accessible. It adapts to various musical genres and styles, catering to user tastes.

The tool includes user involvement in the creative process, allowing them to change the music toward their preferred genres and themes. This approach transforms conventional music creation methods, promoting limitless creativity and innovation in the field.

How to use Suno AI?
Setting up your account

There is a streamlined sign-up process to make it easy to get started. Once registered, find the dashboard, where users can access all of the essential tools for composing a musical masterpiece.

To start creating songs, first register for a free account at suno.com. Click on “Sign Up / Log In” and choose a service to use for your account, such as Discord, Google, or Microsoft. You will then need to allow Suno to access your chosen third-party account.

Using the dashboard

The dashboard is user-friendly, as there is easy access to features such as style selection, lyric and theme input, music element customization, song collaboration, and sharing of your creations.

Creating your first song with Suno AI

When you’re ready to create your first song, start by using the Simple Mode. Simply click on “Create.” Make sure that Custom Mode is turned off, then provide a song description of up to 200 words. Being as detailed as possible increases the chances that the song will be what you expect.

We used the prompt: Write a song about AI and produced this:

Choosing a style and genre

Suno AI has a wide selection of musical styles and genres. Whether you’re into vibrant pop, electronic, folk, or tranquil acoustic vibes, there are a fair few options to choose from.

Inputting your lyrics

If you’d like your song to feature lyrics and vocals, Suno AI will automatically create them for you. But if you prefer an instrumental piece, just switch the Instrumental toggle to remove the lyrics. Custom Mode has quite a few options compared to Simple Mode, including a feature where you can add your own lyrics. You can also describe the song you want and click “Generate Lyrics,” which will make Suno craft the lyrics for you.

Alternatively, opt for “Make Random Lyrics” if you want Suno to handle the lyric creation entirely.

If you already have some catchy rhymes or specific ideas, this is your opportunity to customize the song. Use metatags like [verse] or [chorus] to structure your song effectively. Other helpful metatags include [dramatic verse], [melodic chorus], and for instrumental sections, [break] and [bass drop].

Using themes for song creation

Themes provide a narrative backbone so that your song has more depth and cohesion. Choose a theme like love, resilience, or adventure to add hidden layers and more meaning to your work.

Customizing the music

Adjusting the tempo and key can change the feel of your song, helping to figure out the ideal rhythm and mood to match your lyrics. Click on “Create” and activate the Custom toggle at the top of the screen. From there, you can choose the model you wish to use — version 3.5 is the most recent and offers the best performance.

Adding instruments and effects

Include various instruments and effects to intensify the richness of your song. Experiment with guitars, drums, and audio effects like reverb to boost the quality of your music.

Collaborating with Suno AI

Users can co-create and exchange ideas, sharing the creative process and the final musical product. If you click the copy icon next to a song, it will generate a link that allows others to listen to your tune. By clicking the ellipsis (…) next to a tune in the song section, you can download the tune, add it to a playlist, or choose “Share” to send it to someone specific.

Using advanced tools
Using mixing and mastering features

Suno AI V3’s advanced mixing and mastering tools let you fine-tune every aspect of your music, achieving professional-quality sound. The platform supports a variety of vocal styles and effects, enabling you to add unique character and emotion to your songs.

Formats and quality options

Users can export their songs in various formats, including MP3, WAV, or FLAC. Suno AI also provides adjustable quality settings, enabling users to alter the audio resolution to meet their specific needs. As a result, creators can customize their exported songs to fit particular requirements or platforms.

Saving your projects

Make sure to regularly save your projects on Suno AI to keep your creative work, so you can return to and refine your compositions and songs whenever you feel inspired. Keep in mind that Suno retains ownership of all content generated through its service, although it allows you to download songs for personal use. Just be aware that you may not own the rights to the next viral pop hit.

Featured image: Canva / Ideogram

If you’re not familiar with how much Talismans can affect your Elden Ring game then picking up and equipping this specific one will change all of that.

We’re talking about the Two-Handed Sword Talisman here and as you would expect from the name of this one, it’ll help you two-handed users.

But, to get this Talisman, you will have to head off the beaten path.

Here, we’ll take you through exactly how to get to the Two-Handed Sword Talisman in Shadow of the Erdtree so you can boost your two-handed power.

Where to find Two-Handed Sword Talisman in Shadow of the Erdtree

The Two-Handed Sword Talisman is located within the Temple Town Ruins, specifically, right at the top of the area, inside a small room.

If you haven’t discovered the Temple Town Ruins though, it is somewhat hidden, so let’s talk about how to get there easily.

First start at Moorth Ruins, head northeast, and go through the tunnel north of the small body of water.

Carry on and through the poison area, following the path round to the Ancient Ruins Base Site of Grace.

Then, you can go west/southwest, and if you carry on long enough, you should come across the Temple Town Ruins.

There is also a Site of Grace close by, just a little northwest, so grab that in case of any issues.

Once you’re in the Ruins, just progress through to the top structure as previously mentioned, head into the room, and open the chest to receive the Two-Handed Sword Talisman.

Now you can simply equip it and you’ll receive a substantial buff when utilizing any weapon in a two-handed fashion – more than worth doing a little exploring for!

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